Shannonsparkles
New Member
How many of us here are on the (damned) candida diet? Serriously??
Anyway, here's some stuff to ease the suffering. These are some sweeteners that are considered safe to use while fighting candida. I've personally guinea-pigged each of them. Just be cautious in trying them, as with anything, and see how you do with them.
Stevia
A herb with anti-fungal properties and no calories. VERY sweet, only a tiny ammount is needed. The sweetness doesn't hit the tongue at once; it's more of an aftertaste, encourages you to hold things in your mouth longer. Some people find there is a disagreeable licorice taste to stevia, but if the stevia is cooked in a recipe or has boiling water poured over it, as in a tea, the funny taste dissappears. It's good to buy pure stevia powder if you have candida. Otherwise it either has fillers such as maltodextrin, or is in an alcohol solution. A caution: this is antifungal, so it's possible to get some die-off or cravings.
100% Pure Vegetable Glycerine
This is a clear syrup made from coconut oil. It is about 1 1/2 times sweeter than sugar. It has a very faint taste, and gives a slight warming sensation when placed directly on the tongue. Some cooks say that it loses some of its sweetness when heated, so if using in a recipe, add it at the end, or use extra if needed. In baking, it makes things brown faster. A nice use of vegetable glycerine is in plain yogurt, because the syrup mixes in smoothly. A caution: like everything else, see how you react to it before starting to use it regularly.
"The Candida Control Cookbook" by Gail Burton, features dessert recipes using vegetable glycerine - even pecan pie!
Xylitol
A white, crystalized sweetener traditionally made from birch, but sometimes made from corn or other sources. It looks, tastes, measures and cooks just like table sugar, making it very versitile. Deffinately a boon for cravings - I even find myself calling it 'sugar' at times. It's pricey, like the others, but if you can get it in bulk, it's cheaper. A caution: this sweetener is a laxative for some people. Try a small ammount to start with and increase it gradually; the body will get used to it. Don't do what I did and eat a cup of it on the first night!!! Some people get an anti-fungal effect with xylitol, so it is possible to get die-off.
Other Sweeetening Agents
Cinnamon & Spices
Lends a mild sweetness to baked goods, as do mace and the other 'warming' spices.
Nuts
Are mildly sweet on their own. When ground nuts are used in baking along with the spices, no other sweetener may be needed.
Licorice root
Makes a tea with a sweetness simaller to stevia. Funky taste to me, though.
Anise seeds
Have a sweet licorice taste when chewed. I like them mixed with canned tuna or in salad.
Fresh Fruit (not canned and dried)
If your diet permits. Find out wich fruits are okay for you personally, because there is some debate about which kinds of fruit are 'safe'. It's different for everyone. The 'safest' are lemon, lime, and unsweetened cranberry; they are anti-candida. If you are compelled to eat large ammounts of fruit, it may be feeding your candida; in that case it would be best to stop eating the fruit for a month or two before trying to bring it back in. Applesauce and other fruit purees can replace both the fat and sweetener in baking recipes.
Long post!! If anyone has some other candida-safe sweeters to share, please please post them for the rest of us!!! Eternally grateful!!!
Anyway, here's some stuff to ease the suffering. These are some sweeteners that are considered safe to use while fighting candida. I've personally guinea-pigged each of them. Just be cautious in trying them, as with anything, and see how you do with them.
Stevia
A herb with anti-fungal properties and no calories. VERY sweet, only a tiny ammount is needed. The sweetness doesn't hit the tongue at once; it's more of an aftertaste, encourages you to hold things in your mouth longer. Some people find there is a disagreeable licorice taste to stevia, but if the stevia is cooked in a recipe or has boiling water poured over it, as in a tea, the funny taste dissappears. It's good to buy pure stevia powder if you have candida. Otherwise it either has fillers such as maltodextrin, or is in an alcohol solution. A caution: this is antifungal, so it's possible to get some die-off or cravings.
100% Pure Vegetable Glycerine
This is a clear syrup made from coconut oil. It is about 1 1/2 times sweeter than sugar. It has a very faint taste, and gives a slight warming sensation when placed directly on the tongue. Some cooks say that it loses some of its sweetness when heated, so if using in a recipe, add it at the end, or use extra if needed. In baking, it makes things brown faster. A nice use of vegetable glycerine is in plain yogurt, because the syrup mixes in smoothly. A caution: like everything else, see how you react to it before starting to use it regularly.
"The Candida Control Cookbook" by Gail Burton, features dessert recipes using vegetable glycerine - even pecan pie!
Xylitol
A white, crystalized sweetener traditionally made from birch, but sometimes made from corn or other sources. It looks, tastes, measures and cooks just like table sugar, making it very versitile. Deffinately a boon for cravings - I even find myself calling it 'sugar' at times. It's pricey, like the others, but if you can get it in bulk, it's cheaper. A caution: this sweetener is a laxative for some people. Try a small ammount to start with and increase it gradually; the body will get used to it. Don't do what I did and eat a cup of it on the first night!!! Some people get an anti-fungal effect with xylitol, so it is possible to get die-off.
Other Sweeetening Agents
Cinnamon & Spices
Lends a mild sweetness to baked goods, as do mace and the other 'warming' spices.
Nuts
Are mildly sweet on their own. When ground nuts are used in baking along with the spices, no other sweetener may be needed.
Licorice root
Makes a tea with a sweetness simaller to stevia. Funky taste to me, though.
Anise seeds
Have a sweet licorice taste when chewed. I like them mixed with canned tuna or in salad.
Fresh Fruit (not canned and dried)
If your diet permits. Find out wich fruits are okay for you personally, because there is some debate about which kinds of fruit are 'safe'. It's different for everyone. The 'safest' are lemon, lime, and unsweetened cranberry; they are anti-candida. If you are compelled to eat large ammounts of fruit, it may be feeding your candida; in that case it would be best to stop eating the fruit for a month or two before trying to bring it back in. Applesauce and other fruit purees can replace both the fat and sweetener in baking recipes.
Long post!! If anyone has some other candida-safe sweeters to share, please please post them for the rest of us!!! Eternally grateful!!!